Reading magazines and eating chocolate may not have been the most Indian way to start my birthday celebrations but I soon got into the spirit of things. Here's what the teachers told me to do...
1) Have a "headbath"
2) Put on a new saree - invested in a super-net one which all the teachers find "super super super!"
3) Wear at least twelve bangles on each of my mehindi covered arms - some of the children came to my room and brought bangles as a gift which was so lovely.
4) Flowers and a "fancy" chain are a must too!
5) Drink payasam.
Payasam. (Telugu: పాయసం) is a rice pudding, which is a traditional South Asian sweet dish. It is made by boiling rice or broken wheat with milk and sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashew nuts, pistachios or almonds. It is typically served during a meal or also consumed alone as a dessert.
Doesn't sound too bad? It is awful. It's like drinking thick sugary milk filled with frogspawn. And on my birthday I ate/drank four bowlfuls, yes four! But I can't complain, and I went for the 'grin and bare it' technique because I did truly feel touched that two different families thought of me on my birthday and prepared the special drink for me. As weird as it may sound, it was one of my best birthday presents.
We spent the afternoon getting ready for the function, changing our sarees and even putting on a little bit of mascara. Soon the children were back and we had fun pulling crackers, blowing up balloons and playing games. Gradually more and more students in their half sarees and teachers in their glitzy sarees arrived, and I put on my new shiny silver slippers to go and join them. Of course things were being prepared on Indian time, so the stage still wasn't set up over an hour after the function was supposed to start. We chatted with the teachers, who all shook my hand wishing me a happy birthday, and even did a cat walk!
Soon it was time for us to take our places. After listening to lots and lots of speeches (in Telugu) from all of the chief guests, who were welcomed to the stage by having flowers thrown over their heads, Brahmin Sir organised for my bright pink 1 kg cake to be brought to the stage. He then proceeded to tell everybody about how I was a true Indian girl - later in the evening he even asked me if it's possible that I stay another year! Managed to get over my embarrassment and enjoyed cutting the cake in front of over 200 people and giving pieces to the chief guests - Jess even had to feed me!
After that excitement was over, we sat down to watch some of the dance programme, Bollywood music danced to by 9th and 10th class students. Will have to try and get some videos up for you because the boys especially were amazing! Then, absolutely starving, we headed for food - lots of special treats including vada, indian sweets, bananas, and ice cream, as well as all of the chocolate bars people kept giving me for my birthday. Jess and I nipped back to the room to drop off the cake only to see Ramana Sir and Venkayamma Madam dancing on the stage from our balcony. We were so shocked that we literally ran back to school and had so much fun watching the rest of the dances.
We managed to avoid braving the stage a second time until the final dance of the night at gone 12.30 am. Brahmin Sir had had it planned all along. We tried to drag Venkayamma Madam up with us but in the end it was Ramana Sir who was most keen. All of the other male teachers joined us on the stage too (the female ones wanting to keep their "dignity") and we soon found out that Sai Sir is actually a pretty impressive dancer. Will never know what everyone thought of our Indian macarena and Ramana Sir's Egyptian/ dad dancing...
1) Have a "headbath"
2) Put on a new saree - invested in a super-net one which all the teachers find "super super super!"
3) Wear at least twelve bangles on each of my mehindi covered arms - some of the children came to my room and brought bangles as a gift which was so lovely.
4) Flowers and a "fancy" chain are a must too!
5) Drink payasam.
Payasam. (Telugu: పాయసం) is a rice pudding, which is a traditional South Asian sweet dish. It is made by boiling rice or broken wheat with milk and sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashew nuts, pistachios or almonds. It is typically served during a meal or also consumed alone as a dessert.
Doesn't sound too bad? It is awful. It's like drinking thick sugary milk filled with frogspawn. And on my birthday I ate/drank four bowlfuls, yes four! But I can't complain, and I went for the 'grin and bare it' technique because I did truly feel touched that two different families thought of me on my birthday and prepared the special drink for me. As weird as it may sound, it was one of my best birthday presents.
We spent the afternoon getting ready for the function, changing our sarees and even putting on a little bit of mascara. Soon the children were back and we had fun pulling crackers, blowing up balloons and playing games. Gradually more and more students in their half sarees and teachers in their glitzy sarees arrived, and I put on my new shiny silver slippers to go and join them. Of course things were being prepared on Indian time, so the stage still wasn't set up over an hour after the function was supposed to start. We chatted with the teachers, who all shook my hand wishing me a happy birthday, and even did a cat walk!
Soon it was time for us to take our places. After listening to lots and lots of speeches (in Telugu) from all of the chief guests, who were welcomed to the stage by having flowers thrown over their heads, Brahmin Sir organised for my bright pink 1 kg cake to be brought to the stage. He then proceeded to tell everybody about how I was a true Indian girl - later in the evening he even asked me if it's possible that I stay another year! Managed to get over my embarrassment and enjoyed cutting the cake in front of over 200 people and giving pieces to the chief guests - Jess even had to feed me!
After that excitement was over, we sat down to watch some of the dance programme, Bollywood music danced to by 9th and 10th class students. Will have to try and get some videos up for you because the boys especially were amazing! Then, absolutely starving, we headed for food - lots of special treats including vada, indian sweets, bananas, and ice cream, as well as all of the chocolate bars people kept giving me for my birthday. Jess and I nipped back to the room to drop off the cake only to see Ramana Sir and Venkayamma Madam dancing on the stage from our balcony. We were so shocked that we literally ran back to school and had so much fun watching the rest of the dances.
We managed to avoid braving the stage a second time until the final dance of the night at gone 12.30 am. Brahmin Sir had had it planned all along. We tried to drag Venkayamma Madam up with us but in the end it was Ramana Sir who was most keen. All of the other male teachers joined us on the stage too (the female ones wanting to keep their "dignity") and we soon found out that Sai Sir is actually a pretty impressive dancer. Will never know what everyone thought of our Indian macarena and Ramana Sir's Egyptian/ dad dancing...
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